Boris Johnson once compared his chances of becoming prime minister to 'being reincarnated as an olive'

Boris Johnson.
(Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Boris Johnson should stay away from pimentos in the next few days.

Johnson won an internal race to lead his Conservative party on Tuesday, meaning he'll be the next prime minister of the U.K. after he's sworn in on Wednesday. It's a job Johnson has long aspired to, but also one he seemed skeptical of ever achieving, as he colorfully told David Letterman during a 2012 Late Show appearance.

Seven years ago, Johnson was serving as the bombastic mayor of London, well-known for his shocking blonde hair and colorful figures of speech. And during a stop on Letterman's show, Johnson was asked if he thought he'd ever become the prime minister. "I've got about as much chance of being reincarnated as an olive," Johnson replied.

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That's just one of the many witty remarks Johnson has made over his political career, though most haven't been so incorrectly prescient.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.